Injury Time 6dec2024

Injury Time is a radio show discussing horse racing. They talk about jockey Jack Kennedy's injury and the impact it will have on his racing season. They also discuss the success of trainers Willie Mullins and Aidan O'Brien and the dominance of Irish horses in both Ireland and England. The hosts debate whether this is good or bad for Irish racing. They also touch on the challenges of prize money and the potential for horses to be sold to other countries for better opportunities. Finally, they mention a new horse, Dardan, that William Mullins has high hopes for in the Champion Hurdle. Welcome to Injury Time, it's the last one of 24 and this week I'll be joined by Damien Ryan, also a presenter of Injury Time as part of the presentation. Also my guests are Derek Maxamara, Jack Cosworth and George O'Callaghan. Enjoy. I'm delighted to welcome back, to be part of that Derek Maxamara. Derek, you're very welcome to Injury Time Connemara Community Radio. Thanks Damien, great to be back on as always, thanks for having me. Good to have you, good to have you indeed. Derek, with the talk on racing world force, bad news on Jack Kennedy. Yeah, another week somewhere, is it the 6th or the 8th time? 6th break and he had the same thing last year but I think it happened in January of this year and he missed Seddon but the talk is he's going to make Seddon. Yeah, well that's the key, you know, they're the few days that they have to really be, they just don't want to miss that, you know, it's like in that week's Olympics, you just have to be right for that week. It's a killer though, it's just when the race is really getting going for him now, some really good meetings happening at the moment and you're leading your way into Christmas. I hope he's back for early March but it's another blow for him and unfortunately he's become fairly injury prone but it's just bad luck, it just doesn't seem to fall on his side in terms of injuries and it's obviously going to hamper his plans as well to be champion again this year. So, yeah, it's tough. Gordon Elliott's lucky, he's got a fantastic young jockey as well following after him there in Sam Ewan and he's well able for it, he's a really, really talented lad, another lad that came through the Crony racing ranks and from a really strong National Hunt background, his dad actually sold Constitution Hill, his dad is into the point-to-pointers there and he's sold on some nice horses. So, you know, good to see Sam getting a chance at the same time as well, it's nice to see him be able to showcase his talents with the top horses. Absolutely. Talking about awards and Sam getting his chance, just looking back, a great year for the racing world in Ireland and under the British flag as well with Aidan O'Brien and Willie Mullins taking the scene in England as well as the scene in Ireland. Well done to them. Yeah, it's great isn't it to see how strong it is, what a year for first of all National Hunts to see what Willie Mullins was doing, incredible and then it just kept rolling over to the slash when Aidan O'Brien just cleaned up everywhere, you know, very dominant and had that, you know, training championship over there wrapped up fairly easily and as I keep saying a number of times on the show, we're just so so lucky to have these lads and have the talent that we have in Ireland, you know, and there's no sign that it's stopping anytime soon, you know, so it's incredible what we have and the amount of good horses now we have in Ireland, be it slather, be it National Hunts, especially National Hunts, the National Hunt game are really just, we're so so strong, you know, I mean, it's amazing to think that we're looking, I'm looking over now at Stardew Racing in England and all these big races, the Tingle Creek for this weekend and then the Hennessy that was on last weekend and a little bit show on your nose that I'm thinking that one of these horses are kind of so-so, you know, because once we get the champion, once we get the march, the big powers are going to come over and dominate, so it's just amazing where we are at the moment in terms of Irish racing and long may it continue. Well, indeed, yeah, there were talks that the English were going to isolate us to a degree there in Tock on by, you don't think that's going to happen, do you? Yeah, well, they probably think they have to do something, you know, but I know they can't, you know, and it's so tight in a way in terms of, in fairness, they're still trying to buy, they're still spending all this money and they're trying to buy the best horses and get them over there and Nicholls is working hard and so is Henderson, but it's just that they're coming up against the might of, really, really, Gord has already gone very well the last years, as has Henry the Bromhead, but really, really has just brought it to a just complete different level in terms of how good he is and what he can get out of his horses and, you know, just that the real wealthy owners are kind of seeing that and they're, you know, they're just sending all them horses to Willie, they just think that if they want to be at the top three of Chapman within three days, he's the man to be with and that's what's happening and, as I said, it's going to be that way for a little while more, I would think. Is it good for Irish racing, do you think? National hunt? No, as I say, no, I'm delighted that we have someone like William Mullins, it's great to, you know, you'd be very proud the week of Chapman that we're dominating and all these Irish horses are winning, but, like, I remember for years it was always said that, you know, everyone would say if you were going to breed a horse or whatever, you'd have to be national hunt because you've no chance with the slash, it's just, it's, you know, top pedigrees and the top wealthy owners that have everything kind of sewn up, but that's completely flip-flopped and it's, you know, national hunt is really dominated by a couple of owners now and a couple of trainers and it's very, very hard for people within the industry to make money in the national hunt game where slash is, you know, you're seeing things popping up maybe with social pedigrees winning a group three or group two and being sold for big money after it, so it's amazing the way it flips up and the average man now probably has more of a chance in the slash than he has in national hunt and I think that's seen in the numbers as well, I think more and more people are kind of edging their way back now over to the slash even though they might have national hunt backgrounds or more interest in the jumps, it's, yeah, so whether it's good or bad for the game, you know, it's there, it's there for a while, I was a bit disappointed when they were going to bring in the races there to maybe suit trainers that had trained less than 50 winners and now the guys went against it with massive objections from Mullins and Elliot, but, you know, I thought they should have let that off, I don't think it was really going to affect them that much, they weren't going to lose too much out of their bank balance at the end of the year and it does give that little man, as I said, a little bit more hope and a little bit more to look forward to. Yeah, well, it does and indeed, I suppose, you know, all horses at the early stages come through the flat and if they don't bounce right that way, the potential is there to bring them over to the fences, isn't it? Yeah, they do, well, yeah, you get the dual purpose, yeah, which is, you know, it's probably, they're very popular horses to buy because you have that option always, you know, it's just somewhere racing for ourselves or whoever, Bannon Road is the kind of place that you'd love to have a dual purpose horse, you can go flat or go over hurdles, over fences, but it's, you know, it's getting harder to buy them horses and then, you know, I suppose the big thing in the industry at the moment is a lot of horses have been lofted, nice horses have been sold often as well to Australia, America's kind of kicking in, a big issue at the moment is the prize money and it's creeping in a little bit here in Ireland, even though we're better than the UK, but in the UK they're having a huge, huge issue with it, I think you've seen it there last weekend, Eamon and I was over in the UK and we got down to Epsom Downs for the morning and we were in with a guy, a trainer called Jim Boyle, who's a very good friend, was a first cousin of mine and he was just mentioning that, you know, the economy is kind of having a bit of a wobble and a bit of a struggle over there, but they're having major, major issues with just the prize money is really affecting owners in terms of owners that you might have had in times gone past, especially down there in the south of London, they're looking to France, they're looking over at France and thinking this is the place I need to go because this is where I can have an average horse that makes nice prize money all year that could win me still 50, 60 grand, where a nice horse in England is going to struggle, even winning two or three times a year, it's going to struggle to break 20, 25 grand for the year, so three to four times the prize money. Oh yeah, you're looking at the prize money even coming up now in the race meetings, you know, three and four or five grand, that's going nowhere really, is it? No, like the UK, I just don't know how they can do it, you know, and this week the discussions and big talks about it going on, he said, and they're trying to sort it out, but it's a little bit creeping into Ireland now as well, because even though we have, I think, a limit of above nine to ten grand on all our races, it's still owners have to be looking across, a person throughout the US has to be looking across to France and thinking that, I mean, there's very few races running France for under 25 grand, so that's the bottom of the pile and that's where I'm at. Talking about France, William Ullens has described this new French one that he's brought into, that's been brought into his table and said as something very, very special. Dardan, yeah, I heard him, he's, yeah, Champion Hurdle, I think, is the route that they're hoping and they're, they think that he's, they're going to try and keep him apart, apparently, from Fateman and the others, but they're maybe hoping that he's the one to take on Constitution Hill, and that's an area, that's Champion Hurdle this year, Aldercudden has been blown up a little bit, you know, obviously, brother Dave the Head beat Stateman in a really, really good Morgana a few weeks ago in Pontchartown, and she looks like she's going to be on the Champion Hurdle route now, and she's, she's high class and, you know, Constitution Hill is what's just big question marks really now again this year, is he, what's going on, he just seems to, can't get to the racetrack at the moment, Stateman will be there, thereabouts, what we know is level, and then there's Lassiemouth as well, another filly for William 1 and 2, one, you know, went very impressively to Hatton's Grace there at the weekend, just went past in Fairy House, as I said, so look at it, it's very, very exciting, the Champion Hurdle, I like the two fillies, I like the Gordon filly, I think is a hardy, really good filly, and Lassiemouth is just an unknown, it's hard to know what she's got to do, but hopefully this French recruit is a good one, but he's had a few through the years, and there's always been a lot of talk about French horses, and sometimes they just don't get there, but yeah, it's amazing what he's doing, again, even getting these horses over from France, he seems to just have that market totally solid up, that's the big problem I think for the English trainers, is that Willie's ahead of them, you know, they're not getting to these horses before he is, and that's part down to the... Of course he has big backers there too, the likes of McManus. He has, yeah, so is Henderson, but I think it's a lot down to the breeders and the people that are selling the horses over there probably think that Willie has a better chance of getting there, you know, they're looking to the future all the time, so they're probably thinking that Willie has a better chance of getting him a champion hurdle winner, and then the following horse that comes the following year, or the year after that, they want to see their horse in with the best trainer basically, and that's why he's more often than not, he's the guy that's called first about the next superstar. Yes, yes, it seems to be that way all right, yes indeed. There are a couple of, which you've mentioned, a couple of big races up and coming, but I suppose everyone is looking towards Christmas. Yeah, it seems like it's going to be interesting, the King George really pulled all his horses out, and it looks like it's going to be a very strong Leperstown meeting, he seems to be keeping all his horses back and having a good crack at that, you know, Gordon will be strong for that as well, so we'll have a couple of horses maybe going across to the King George, but it's maybe not the race that he usually is. We had a cracking couple of days, we had Darren Pontchartain a couple of weeks ago, like that John Durkan was basically a goal up early in the season, I couldn't believe that they were all showing up and taking each other on. Jimmy Mangan, this great horse around, there's an infactified, seems to be the the goal of the horse this year from one of them, he can't stop talking about him, but then when we get to Shetland, it's going to be harder to look past Scallopin. And again, when he's gone up that hill, you know, the last year's winner for the last two years, and so it's just exciting, and it's great, as I said, great to see that these trainers are throwing them all in against each other early in the season, because that's probably the complaint we've had for the last number of years, and that's the complaint we've had about maybe the likes of Nicky Ennison, is that they keep these horses apart, and we only ever really get to feed them once, and that's in Shetland, maybe if they turn up again in Pontchartown, but the ground is more often than not gone by then, so it's nice to see them having a crack at each other, and that's the way it should be throughout the season, you know, they get three or four races to have a crack at each other and take each other on, so it's very exciting, Gold Cup, and it's very exciting Champion Hurdle, everything is a little bit more open this year, I'd say. Okay, good. Looking across to your own world of golf, McIlroy has left a few big ones behind him this year, and well, it's been a turbulent year for him, both on and off the course. Scotty Sheffler is something very special though, isn't he? Yeah, he's just one of those talents that's just, you know, seems to be kind of a class of her. In terms of getting the job done, he's just got that mental edge that, you know, he just gets it done, you know, the tougher the pressure comes on, the better he gets, and that's maybe just what's caught McIlroy for a couple of years, but at the same time, you know, he had a really good year, like in terms of his numbers again, and how many times he's been in there in the fight, it's just that he doesn't, you know, convert enough chances that he gets, and that's why it's great to see a lot of pressure on him there in Dubai a couple of weeks ago to finish out the season well, and, you know, I was worried for him at stages in the back then, I thought he was going to let another one go, but he got it done, so at least he's going into Christmas a happier man, in a better shape, and his golf game has probably never been better than it has been, it's just, as I said, he's not converting enough chances, but he's had a lot of, you said that Dave, a lot going on this year, personally there was a lot of struggles with his wife, he was getting divorced, he didn't get divorced, a lot of change, so, you know, hopefully next year is the year that he finally breaks the the major voodoo, and he gets across the line again, but overall a very good year this year for Irish golf, you know, Shane had a really, really strong year without winning, you know, he was, yeah, Porrick again, Seniors Tour with Nick Doss, a couple of wins, Banked in the country, Bob, as I said, so does Shane, and we have the likes of Tom McKibben coming through there, he's just after squeezing his VJ card for next year, and, you know, we've got a few other lads there that's got hopes underneath that, we have Conor Purcell from Dublin there, I trained under his dad Joey in Portmarnock there for a number of years, so Conor's from Malahide, he was on the Challenge Tour for the last couple of years, and he's gained his European Tour card for next year, so it's exciting to see him coming through, and finally we're starting to get, all we've been looking at for the last couple of years really is Porrick, Shane and Rory, and it seems to me now finally a couple of lads start to come through underneath them, so overall, for golf, pretty strong year. Yeah, good. Anything else in the mix that you would like to make mention of, Derek? No, obviously quite time of the year for us here in the club and behind the Conor Marr I'm sure, so just looking forward now to the Christmas period, we're getting some of our Christmas dinners and competitions run off here, good year overall I'd say, tourism was pretty strong, and after a wet August we had a fantastic September and October in terms of weather, so pretty contained going into next year. How's your course holding up? It'll be wet now, last few weeks obviously after all the weather and storms we've got, and the snow, it's wettened up, but as I said we probably had the driest October we've had for a long, long time, so the windkeeper walked into me at the end of October saying, we're going to pace this weather some stage, and it was only within a week I'd say we got hit, so that's just the way it is, but we've had overall apart from a wet August, we've had a very good year, and as I said Greenpeace holding up, membership is still very strong, so yeah, putting plans in place for the future now, they're about to set up a five-year plan, and things are massively improved the last four to five years, and Dominic Lynch behind the Conor Marr, I'm hearing exactly the same story. Good, that's good, excellent, yeah okay, we might leave it at that then Dominic, looking forward to, in the racing world certainly, looking forward to the Christmas festival, it's going to be a cracker I think this year with the amount of talent that's been put on display, so look forward to that big time, and to wish you and the family a very, very happy Christmas, and a big thank you to your contribution to Conor Marr Community Radio and Internet Time for the past year, and looking forward to connecting again in 2025. Yes Eamonn, as I say, always enjoy coming on, and thanks a million for having me on, and I wish all your listeners a very happy Christmas, and a happy new year as well, and yeah, look forward to talking in 2025. Many thanks Derek. Thanks Eamonn, thanks guys, bye-bye. Derek McNamara there, Internet Time, and we'll be right back with you after these. Christmas sale now on at Brodericks Electrical, Castle Bar and Westport. 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Welcome back to my final entry time of 24 and it's good to have them indeed. Jack Cosgrove, you're welcome man. How are you? Good thanks Jack. With relation to Jim Gavin and what he's brought to the table in the changes, do you approve? It's hard to know because I mean what we saw in the two exhibition games, they were only challenge matches, there was no intensity in them and it's hard to judge on that. It's only when the intensity of the National League comes in and the Championship and those things at stake and that's when probably more mistakes will come in. Okay, but it will be a bit more up there with the rules and regulations. But I can see a hell of a lot of problems for referees down the line. This thing that you know, no backchats from the sidelines, that's going to be a problem. 50 metres forward? 50 metres forward, I think that's a lot but I can sort of tell it's a good thing. 50 metres forward is nearly bringing it into range for goalkeepers or long kickers or middle of the field at the 21 yard three. So it will definitely stop the backchats from players and eventually at both the sidelines. And while the Club Championship will be a different ballgame all year because you know in any club match that there are more on the sidelines than there are on the pitch nearly to some clubs and there's not a lot of what they call the black courts. And it's hard for the referees to decide who's shouting at them and roaring at them and abusing them if he's up the other side of the pitch. And you know you have probably a lineman from one of the clubs on that side of the field and it's going to cause an awful lot of problems for club matches and I think they should have left that for a year until clubs get up there with the rules and see the you know the county teams playing in it and see how it works. So you would have brought it into the clubs firstly and then into the inter-county team? No no the other way I'd have brought it into inter-county and then let the club see how it works and bring it in into 2026 for the club. Because as I say with you know in inter-county matches the rest are wired up to their linemen and umpires and that makes it a lot easier you know to call when there's three up and three back and stuff like that you know. Will it go back into the colleges Jack? I don't know what they're going to I think the Sigurdsson has been played under the old rules. Right and I'm looking at it you know. I'm not 100% sure on that but I think the Sigurdsson has been played under the old colleges I don't know. I think they took too much on board too you know. They brought a whole load of Paxton's in there and put it all in together. Did nothing about the hand pass which was probably one of the biggest problems in the old football and did nothing at all to improve that or you know to get rid of some of it out of the game. And that's still going to be there and it should be probably a while before they have another another commission to sit down and look at that and take another couple of years. So in the meantime we're going to be we're going to be there with the the hand pass. Indeed yeah. So nothing much happening beyond that we're into the club scene now we're coming up to the semi-finals I think are we? Yes we're into the semi-finals. A big turn up last week and the Sligo team I think they beat Philip Pearson and Roscommon. A big surprise I think the Sligo team were 7-1 to win. I think they beat them in extra time. It's good for Sligo football but it shows I mean the Pearson team. There's no Galway or Mayo side in this now? No no no they're gone. Brent Hill are through to the other end of the semi-finals. Yes. Yeah and I think the Fianna from Dublin are at the heart of the game. Super monster but it's good for them but it shows how you know Corrin Finn were supposed to be great and the Pearson beat them rather easily and then the Pearson beat them by Sligo. Looked too good for Galway football but club football is a different ball game. Yeah indeed we might just in the few minutes we have Jack we might just switch to the Premiership. Liverpool on Lucky Kelleher onto the spotlight there but you could see standing literally a metre off the inline that he would let it go and never looking to see what was behind him. Yeah you could see you could see it happening there. It was off myself I didn't realise the ball was going anywhere and you don't put your head down at the last second but his positioning was wrong then as well you know he managed to turn around and face the ball make sure it was going out and if he was turning them to the right way towards the attacker he would have probably blocked the ball but put it behind his back but I mean the defenders should have covered with their men as well you know. Well exactly I was just going to come to that point I mean it was poor defence and there was a forward player coming in around the back and no defender there tackling him or taking him like that. Yeah and what it may mean Liverpool give away some awful stupid threes around the middle the middle part of the field against Newcastle and you know after getting 3-2 up they just couldn't couldn't defend it. It was poor retention of the ball. Yes indeed. Salah is keeping them on the road though very much isn't he? Oh he's Salah is unbelievable you know and Trent and I mean if it should happen that the two of them would go in the summer I tell you they'll be a poor team without them. Oh indeed yeah they're very much they'll be standing alone and a lot of that I mean it's two fine goals again yesterday. Yeah Arsenal are still in touch? Yes they're if they can keep getting corners they'll probably win. Indeed yeah. They have a recipe for scoring from corners anyhow between blocking goalkeepers and everything that not that they would be fouling or anything like that. I know I understand well what you're saying yeah indeed. Listen we unfortunately because of the time schedule and the change of the presentation this month we have to leave it at that but just to wish you Margaret and all the family a very very happy Christmas and to say a big thank you for your contribution over the last year to Conamara Community Radio and injury time and I'll be I'm always available for a pint or two over the Christmas you never know that might happen too. Yeah thanks Eamonn I'll leave one page for you somewhere if I don't see you but again thanks for your contribution to sport during the year and happy Christmas to you and yours and to Gráinne and all at the radio they're doing a great job there so happy Christmas and new year to everyone and we'll hopefully talk to you in January sometime. We certainly will in the first week of January and we'll see a bit of experience in the rules maybe from that point but for now Jack many thanks take care. Slán. Slán indeed. Jack Cosgrove limited time on the presentation this month we'll be back with you Jojo Gorham joining us on matters of rugby very very shortly. This program is kindly sponsored by Clymore Abbey and Gardens 095 52 001 It's my pleasure to welcome back to injury time the final for my part for this series of 24 Jojo Gorham. Hi Eamonn and good luck to all your listeners hope you're well. Just to start off with you've just been under the skiing as they say to wish you well on that I know it's not a very pleasant event you'd rather be throwing them off the sideline or something to do on that matter but anyway the best of wishes Jojo on that score it's as I say it's not a very pleasant adventure at all. Thanks Eamonn we'll get there eventually I think. Ah indeed yes indeed. Now come out quickly Jojo not going that well. Ah well the last game against the Bulls they didn't play well I didn't think overall they played well and then the sending off the early sending off which was was a right sending off he led with his shoulder but I just thought it was it was nearly nearly went under the radar Eamonn because of all the rugby that was going on but it's one that I'm worried that they will regress because they got nothing out of it and you need to be getting something out of it at home you know so it will be able to go but I just didn't I just didn't think I've been watching them all season obviously like all the rest of them and they were they were pleasing to the eye but they weren't pleasing to the eye this time and you have to own up to that and I hope they own up to it and I hope they had a really good internal conversation on it because you know people pay good money to go to go to see them and they they expect regardless of win or lose they expect that they would they would perform you know. Absolutely I totally agree with you the internationals that we experienced Ireland lucky I have to think in my own opinion on that with the number of mistakes that has well it's not just now but we saw it through the world championships last year the number of mistakes at international level are unreal at present in Irish rugby. Yeah I'd say it's a source of worry for them the unforced errors were the count was huge in all the games and the most one that got me was the handling errors that the simple simple things they say they say in in all sports that if you that what you do is if you do the basics brilliantly you have a chance and and they fell down alarmingly on the basics. I totally agree with you I just as you say that is the worry it's on the basics that they fell down you know and facing into the Six Nations I know they have a month to put it all back together but I think that Six Nations kicks in at the end of January as far as I saw from the calendar that they have a month or six weeks to put it back together but is Farrell the culprit here or is the coaching at another in another area of the fault? Well I'd say as a coaching team you'd have you have to take this on and I thought that they the line outs weren't great and I thought the calls were poor. I thought that they were very predictable in their play they were over and back and back and over there was no real cut to them and so that comes under the attack side of the house but with Farrell going off now and Easterby taking over Farrell is going off for the Lions he'll be gone but I think there's a lot to ponder on I'm not so sure if they know what their best team is yet I'd say there's a lot of over and back around number 10 there's a lot of over and back around what's the best midfield combination and I would say to you that again the likes of Mack coming back he's only I think he's only half the player he is yet and I don't mean that in a bad way for Mack I just think it's I think he's coming back from injury and you know hopefully he'll be better in the Six Nations but when you look at the subs bench and the impact I didn't think there was any impact off the bench I thought the line out throwing was poor I don't I think personally and you know he was a warrior first but I think O'Mahony's days are numbered I think Henderson's days are numbered he'd like to see young people coming in there or young new players coming in there and I still say that you know Crowley and Prendergast both of them are young Prendergast is very young but they're a good way off Sexton if he wants to be the marker. Prendergast impressed I thought you know. Do you know what I thought his line out his touch kicking was was brilliant I just think if you look at international rugby now it's all about just getting it into touch you'd kick it as far with a pair of Wellingtons but he was getting he was getting the full value out of his kick. Oh he was getting great distance on it there's no doubt about it. He's kind of a he's kind of a deadly assassin you know he's one of those that's not ruffled so I think I think he'd be fine in time he would have been a fantastic addition to Connacht if we got him that time. Yes he would have been with the brother being there it would have been a great addition because we are lacking there now Jack is Jack is in the kicking arena now is not the best you know along the way I think we're struggling in that area but you just mentioned there in their play when you looked at the cutting edge of Australia against us and the room they made for themselves and the space they made for themselves we never seem to be able to find that whereas you say we're back and over back and over but we're not even making any yardage of this. No no we're not and and you know I think Schmidt is doing a really good job with Australia I'd love us to play a bit looser and and play play the game as as they see it I just think we've gone very robotic and we have to complete a move when the move may not be on you know and I'm sure he's told them that before Farrell is supposed to be that type of a of a leader but I don't I don't know I personally I'm a great fan of Ringrose I just think he's he has a he can find space but it may be to the detriment of of of Ackie I think I think Ringrose and and and Robbie Hinshaw are a better combination but they they it'll be very interesting Eamon because they have France and England at home this year and then they're away to Italy who who seem to be improving by the day Scotland I don't know I still aren't overly impressed with them and and Wales are on free fall obviously yes yeah but you you would see like having a we're fortunate I suppose in having that the power of of France and England coming to ourselves at least that gives us a bit of an edge maybe completely you know that that they are always the best chance of of of winning a six nations if you have those two at home and you get results of them yeah I think we I think we get a result against France or against England but I'd be worried about France France are on a different level now again but they're temperamental though France correct you don't know what's going to turn up but but you see that you see that from a Champions Cup perspective the French side you don't know what's going to turn up but they're beginning to get much much better as as at that and beginning to concentrate a bit more on it but you're so right it's it's whatever French team turns up when they're with their way from home when they're at home they're nearly unbeatable you know yeah though without a doubt without a doubt uh unfortunately we've run up against the clock uh Giorgio on this one uh but certainly in the month of January uh we'll we'll look back and we look forward to what's up and coming day as you say the six nations will be kicking in uh but for now to wish you uh the all the best on your recuperation and don't take a bit of time and patience but good luck with that and to yourself Monica and family a very very happy Christmas and indeed a big thank you for joining us here on a regular basis on Connemara Community Radio but for my pleasure and a happy Christmas to you and to to to everyone in Connemara Radio and and all your listeners I hope they've a happy and healthy um Christmas time and a new year yeah thank you for that Giorgio talk soon take care take care see you Evan yeah take care bye uh Giorgio Vorham joining us on the Masters of Rugby this December and uh we'll be right back to tell you what's up and coming uh for the remainder of the program O'Dorley Family Jewellers Clifton from watches to watch batteries and jewellery repairs to presents for their special occasions with beautiful wedding and engagement rings O'Dorley Jewellers will look after you and yours always Jonathan and his family wish you all a happy Christmas and a healthy new year Diamonds of Rinneville everything for the farmer at the keenest prices farm and animal feed stuff fencing drainage and building supplies winter warmer fuel specials and smokeless coal four bags of coal 90 euro 10 bags of coal 225 euro 20 bag of coal 550 euro free local delivery call 095 43486 Diamonds of Rinneville wishing all their customers a very happy Christmas and a prosperous and healthy new year Connemara Holiday Lettings has a wide selection of holiday homes in Connemara County Galway if you have any friends or family who are looking to book a holiday home please check out connemaralettings.ie or call us on 353 95 22 669 Yvonne and her team would like to wish all a very happy Christmas and a prosperous new year this Christmas gives the gift of Kyle Morabbi visit our beautiful Connemara estate and experience the festive atmosphere of Ireland's best loved historic treasure make Christmas shopping and dining an experience to remember with our wholesome winter menu and delightful handcrafted gifts fill your larder with homemade Kylemore Christmas fare and choose from a beautiful range of gift ware and award-winning chocolates handmade in Sister Grenadine's chocolate kitchen gift joy this Christmas when you shop in store or online at Kylemorabbi.com Kyle Morabbi a story so timeless it's still being written uh that's the final part of my presentation this injury time because now we facilitate uh Damien Ryan of injury time well known to listeners uh with regard to an interview that he conducted uh with Sean Clancy of Upper Ireland Boxing Club and in relation to one of its boxers Kieran Malai who fights in Sheffield in England this week a big thank you to Grainne Beckett the studio technician and to Jojo Gorham to Jack Cosgrove and of course to Derek McNamara until Sunday morning take care of the slán. Now it's brewing up a storm outside and it's probably brewing up a storm shortly in Sheffield as it is fight week in Sheffield and it is Kieran Malai's fight and then a couple of young boxers have made the journey over as well so um it's obviously a big weekend for Kieran Malai he's nine wins out of nine in professional boxing and he takes on Robin Samora an experienced boxer there with uh I think it's 35 31 wins and 34 losses and it's over eight rounds in a welterweight contest uh in the Canon medical arena in Sheffield uh so that is Saturday the 7th of December uh 2024 um so it's all to look forward to there uh in the coming weekend and also this weekend guys there's a huge uh moment for a big couple of boxers uh in the Upper Ireland Boxing Club and uh there is 12 boxers traveling to Sheffield to see to watch the fight but also they'll be sparring uh on the Saturday morning so uh no better man than Sean Clancy from Duke who are back to talk about uh the coming weekend good evening Sean how are we keeping? Good now Jamie and yourself? Not too bad now you have a busy busy weekend ahead we get weekend ahead but uh obviously there's plenty of league action that was being played over the last uh the last while as well yeah so with uh I think that the last league uh was on Tuesday night down in uh down in Gort and it's been running for the last seven weeks so our own club hosted uh two evenings uh over the whole seven weeks uh with up to 16 bouts uh on both occasions and our boxers also traveled as well so again it's a fantastic competition that was started up kind of after Covid to try and get boxers that would have missed out on a couple of years training up up up and running and then for for kids that lost out joining because you know competitive boxing starts at 11 and we noticed we had a lot of kids joining at 14 and 15 years of age that wouldn't have that experience so the league in fairness gives them an opportunity to go out and box in a non-competitive arena matched against um kids of similar age and experience and then what we do is we assess them on each night and uh on the 15th of December actually the finals will take place they are competitive uh they are decision so there'll be judges there and it's in uh Connemara Boxing Club down in Closhill who would host it in their wonderful facility that they have down there and look at it it's great um great after the seven weeks in that the boxers get to test themselves in in in a competitive arena and uh yeah it's been absolutely fantastic and yeah we're at the Limerick Box Cup as well with a couple of boxers had had a good uh good good results down there uh we were in St Francis' then last Sunday with a couple of more uh boxing in a tournament down there and uh yeah as you said a big weekend coming up in Sheffield and uh this was brought about in fairness by by Ciarán's dad mostly Stephen who reached out to his promoters so Ciarán is with GBM Sports in in Sheffield at the moment and he said guys could you put us in contact with any local clubs over there to see if we could get sparring so the club that we're going to is LA Boxing they actually said we're hosting our own tournament on Friday night uh on the 6th of December and we won't be able to put on all your boxers because obviously they need to look after the local clubs as well uh keep in with them so uh I think we've got six boxers all together on that card on Friday evening uh we've Billy Lee, Sonny Clancy, Finn Martin, Caden Joyce and Noel Gordon who would all be boxing on that card and then on a Saturday morning at 10 30 we're going over to the club and the rest of the boxers in plus the six that box on Friday night will get their opportunity to spar and then all the boxers after their two busy days of Friday and Saturday uh get to go to see Ciarán uh in in uh Sheffield Live so GBM extended kind of an invite to those boxers uh they're letting them in complimentary and they've said that they'll allow the boxers meet Ciarán afterwards and and get pictures with them in the ring and all that so look at this is massive uh it's a big deal you know Ciarán's only had one home fight uh maybe not all the kids were lucky enough to get tickets to go and and see him and uh in fairness to GBM they put in a they put in a huge production their shows are very very professional and the fight has actually been shown live on Dazan as well so that's a big uh that's a big plus they've signed a deal there for for coverage for their fight for Dazan so um again uh people be able to watch it worldwide not just in Ireland and England so more and more exposure there for Ciarán yeah and uh I was just actually listening to an interview there uh yesterday I think it was uh there might there might be a small chance another call will return um and on it might be on the cards the in the next in the next few weeks or uh within the next year hopefully it'd be great to see it yeah it is and you know what they they did hope they did hope to have it last summer uh it is very challenging putting on an event in the West of Ireland to tell you the truth because uh you're looking for a thing that can hold enough people but also it has to pay so there's that challenge so Leisureland is a fantastic indoor uh facility uh but the numbers are restricted because of the size uh he went to go for a bigger arena and um because his promotion team had to come from the UK the costs were obviously higher and uh just to try and secure a place uh in time during our summer weather we call it which we don't yet put hope for um it just was it was too much of a challenge but they are hoping now in the new year uh 2025 within I'd say the first quarter kind of looking at next March April time frame of having uh an outdoor arena fight here in the West of Ireland which would be absolutely massive and um you know the the GBM are fully conscious of uh of uh Ciarán Millay's Irish support especially in the West of Ireland uh you know he's a big attraction and uh you know they want to give him that reward as well uh to get a home fight because he like he had a home fight under the Conlins but he hasn't had a home fight under under these uh this this promotion company and they also have Ciarán and Bradley on their books I'm sure we've a few more local Galway boxers as well that hopefully you know uh would get the opportunity to to box in Galway so that will be massive uh for sure and again you know the TV rights for design as well would get to uh promote Galway City and County uh around the world as well because always there's promos coming up to to every fight about the boxer and his profile and they like to do like a background video of him and where he came from so they'd be out around Connemara as well with their cameras just promoting the area so um yeah and uh you know he's a he's a well uh well-seasoned boxer even though the the guy who's boxing on on on on Saturday night is the same age as Ciarán at only 26 he's had unbelievably 56 fights uh in his career so he's well seasoned um a southpaw as well so it'll be another good test for Ciarán and Ciarán has since uh over the summer months as well uh changed coach so uh we're kind of interested because we haven't seen him box obviously under his new coach um just as kind of a boxing enthusiast to see uh has he changed his style or his approach to to to the pro game so that that for us is is going to be an exciting prospect just to see what is the uh what has he brought uh to Ciarán from a style uh perspective yeah it's good to see that again and hopefully we all want to see a good fight and I'm sure it will be like you know and uh just for the younger the obviously the younger boxers traveling over um there's probably a bit of uh you know probably involvement in that of getting kind of if you if you're sparring that air tomorrow and you want to be in in the right preparation um sure so I'm sure a lot of them have made traveling plans a bit earlier yeah so a lot of a lot of actually traveled out today because um yeah they're boxing tomorrow evening so it'll be too much of an ask to to kind of expect them to travel Friday day and then be ready to box uh Friday evening at seven o'clock but the plus side of that is as well um I think Ciarán's press conference is on today at 2 p.m. for any of them that's over there and if not um the weigh-ins as well they'll get to see the weigh-ins tomorrow so the weigh-ins will be open to the public so they'll actually get to to attend them as well so their time will be filled anyway but uh yeah and you know like um obviously Ciarán's moved to the UK now and he's based there he comes down to the club when he's at home but the lads wouldn't have had as much contact with Ciarán uh since he went professional a lot of them would have seen him down the gym when he was amateur so look at it just for get for them to get to experience that uh and hopefully it'll it'll um it'll inspire them as well you know we've built uh we've built a good unit of boxers now that have they're very very competitive and as I said you know we feel comfortable bringing them anywhere now because they've they've built up their strength and and power so kind of it's great uh great to get this trip and like my I always say to my brother like my fondest memories of boxing I didn't have any titles as I didn't win any national titles but I had uh great moments uh traveling with the late Colman Flaherty there from from Connemara Boxing Club and they brought me out to Germany and we boxed out in the Arnhem Islands and we bought an Everkine and I always say like that's my memories of the sport was it was actually the trips and mixed we I would have went to the Connemara team and mixed with the Connemara lads and the crack we would have had on those trips and like um when you when you look back and especially for young boxers you know we'd love all of them to win Irish titles it won't be there for everyone but you don't want them looking back on the sport whenever they finish up saying you know all I ever got out of it was was hardship and uh you know getting so close to to winning the title and maybe not getting it you want you want them to have other memories as well so uh trips like this are absolutely fantastic for that you know um and then camaraderie as well between the lads but they have that already and the lads that are traveling over as I said we we bring them sparring a lot around the country and they go to box cups so um you know they all seven of them went to all Ireland last year after winning their Connect titles and would have spent the week together in Dublin so you know that that's part of of the club as well is that camaraderie so it's great to see and I again I even said about hosting the league uh in previous years we wouldn't have had a boxing ring in our club because we would have used the community centre we've younger kids there now we've eight and ten-year-olds we've actually 32 kids between the ages of eight and ten that we train both uh male and female and they come up to see the league and they see the older guys in the club and when I say older I'm talking 14 or 15 boxing in our club in the ring making them want to have that rather than if we didn't have that ring we'd have to travel everywhere and obviously we wouldn't be able to bring those kids with us they'd never get to see it so it's it all it all trickles down as they say and and and each each age group is an inspiration to the next so Ciarán Millay is the inspiration to these lads going over to England but these guys are the inspiration to the eight and ten-year-olds that we have in the club at the moment so you know it's great to see and that keeps passing down and that's the important thing and we started up the high five initiative there a month ago so that's for kids with additional needs so that training is this evening at quarter past six 12 kids have signed up all together all with varying different disabilities and we're getting attendance of about eight kids per class so it's great to be able to facilitate that as well so again we wouldn't be able to do that if we didn't have our our own place and our boxing ring there so it's great to be able to extend that the high five program as well and have our club there for families with children with additional needs and give them a bit of respite as well and so it's yeah it's all good so looking forward to submerging myself in more boxing for the full weekend in Sheffield. It's great to see you have to play now like look at the club has gone from strength to strength and you have a settled location in in the village here in Newport as well so it's a credit to all the from to all yourselves the coaches behind the scenes you know it and you know it's um it's unbelievable to see the club going from strength to strength. Just before you go we might give the the special uh the special mention to all the boxers if you want to name the boxers out that are to boxing over the weekend. Yeah so we have Billy Lee, Kieran Martin, Finn and Clancy, Adam Lee, Finn Martin, James McAuley, Peter Lee, Caden Joyce, Bradley Lee, Noah Gordon and Peter McAuley and Sonny O'Neill as well and just to say the plan is if Kieran does have a home event here in Galway that we're going to invite back that club from Sheffield to Upland to host them here so like this is this is the great opportunities and even though Kieran's in the UK it's opening up doors for us as a club all the time and getting us connections over there which is brilliant and of course Kieran was part of the team we hosted England school boys versus Ireland school boys and Kieran was only 13 years of age here in Uchterard so like it's great to continue that connection and just get you know widen the horizons and our experiences from a boxing perspective. That's exactly it but you know the kind of the standards over in the UK is you know and it'll be a great challenge for these young young young boxers as well you know. Yeah absolutely yeah. Sean it was an absolute pleasure having you on it's great to see the club going so well safe trip to Sheffield and hopefully Kieran Malloy will make it 10 wins out of 10 in his professional career so a huge thank you Sean and hopefully we'll chat you down down the line again. Okay and thanks Damien and thanks to Connemara Radio for for having me on again thank you very much much appreciated. Thank you so much now that was Sean Clancy from Uchterard Boxing Club and we wish them all the best over in Sheffield this weekend. Great to see the club doing so well and we caught that was caught up with Sean there on Thursday afternoon just before he caught his flight to the UK so thank you and we'll catch you down down the line again. Thank you. This program was kindly sponsored by Kylmore Abbey and Gardens 095 52 001